Don’t make fresh decisions every day, or keep meal choices totally open-ended all the time. Instead, make decisions in advance and work from a template.

Fit tip: Every few days, sketch out the meals you and your family will eat for the next few days. (Your child’s leftover chicken fingers shouldn’t be your dinner.) Check the list daily so you know:

what to buy at the grocery store;

what to pre-prep;

what meal you’ll eat at what time (or when you’re really hungry).

3. Keep chopped, ready-to-eat vegetables in the fridge.

Put them front-and-center so you see them and can get to them easily.

Fit tip: Pick one day (in my house it’s Sunday) where you wash, peel and chop all your veggies and store then in snack size containers for the week.

4. Keep a batch of cooked grains handy.

Whole grains take time to cook, but if you make a batch on Sunday, you’ll have it in the fridge to use in grain bowls, salads, or a side dish all week long. In my house we eat quinoa two-three times a week. A little sprinkle of olive oil, salt & pepper, and it makes a great base to seasonal roasted / sautéed veggies. Add diced avocado, your favorite lean protein and you have a quick super food dish.

Fit tip: Make two batches, and portion one out by the cupful to keep in containers in the freezer. Brown rice, or quinoa reheats nicely in the microwave.

5. Don’t be hungry and in the grocery store at the same time.

Treat grocery shopping like a surgical operation: Have a plan (like your meal list from Tip 2). Get in and get out as efficiently as possible—which I know can be challenging if you have a little ones in tow.

Fit tip: Focus on the perimeter — the produce and meat sections. Don’t even go down the processed food aisles, so you won’t be tempted, and your child doesn’t throw a tantrum because you passed the Oreos. Alternatively, sign-up for a grocery delivery service like Peapod.

6. Keep workout gear in your face.

Have a resistance band, a dumbbell or two, and a mat in your home or office so you’re more tempted to use them. I have a foam roller and a kettlebell laying out in my home office, and use them frequently because I see them out.

Fit tip: Do “trigger training”: Leave the gear in various places throughout your house, and whenever you pass one of them, do a few reps. Use your infant as a weight (see our Top Exercises for Babywearing Moms). Over the course of the day and week, all the reps will add up quickly without eating up too much time and you’ll feel motivated knowing you got something in.

Your workout bag should include everything you need for your workout—sneakers, water bottle, mat, headphones, towel, hairbands, etc. It makes it easier to get up for an early morning workout, or hit the gym at the end of the day when everything is prepped and ready to go.

Fit tip: Keep your workout bag by the door and grab it on the way out. Having your workout clothes out the night before will guarantee you have all the articles you need to complete your workout. If I neglect to do this, I often find myself fumbling around in the dark to find my gear. Not fun.

8. Schedule workouts like you schedule meetings.

Put them on your calendar and treat them like any other appointment.

Fit tip: Put workouts on your family calendar. It took my husband and I over two years after the boys were born to create a regular workout schedule for the two of us. We split the early weekday mornings between us, and negotiate when necessary to protect our precious workout time.

9. Move social gatherings to parks and gyms.

It doesn’t always have to be a bar or restaurant. Make your next date outside (power walk) or try out a new fitness boutique together (wall climbing, ariel yoga, pilates, etc).

Fit tip: This goes for professional networking, too. Instead of sitting down at a coffee shop, get coffee to go and have a walking meeting.

10. Turn family and friends into coaches.

To create a supportive environment, be explicit with loved ones that you’re trying to eat better and get fit — and why. They don’t have to participate, but ask them to help and support your goals. (Read how one AMC mom changed her husband’s habits.)

Fit tip: Involve your family in goal-related activities, such as menu planning, meal prep, and rep counting. Lead by example, your kids will love to do squats and eat veggies just like mom and dad.

By changing your environment you’ll be able to optimize opportunities to eat healthier and lead a more active lifestyle—and ultimately transform your body—no willpower required. Choose 3-4 strategies above and start 2018 on a healthy note. Be the change. Be the best version of you.

Lots of people benefit from extra guidance and support when they’re looking to improve their food choices and physical activity — and get the body they desire most. If that’s you, let Active Moms’ Club provide you guidance and support. Join us for prenatal or postnatal workouts.

In January Active Moms’ Club kicked-off our second 60-Days of YOU! Fitness & Nutrition program. The goal of the program— to help moms focus on their own self-care. One of our newest members, Lauren, made an incredible transformation to her body, while increasing her energy, strength and confidence.

Lauren first came to AMC last year for our Postnatal Recovery Class. She was eager to safely return to exercise and to rebuild her strength post baby. As every mom knows the first year of motherhood is a big transition. Lauren’s son turned one on December 24 and was struggling to find her fitness groove. “I wanted to get more energy, get back into the routine of regular exercise, and fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes”. When 60-Days of YOU! Fitness & Nutrition program came around in January, she knew the time was right to make a change!

AMC’s 60-Days of YOU! program is eight weeks of fitness and nutrition guidance that has helps take the guesswork out of slimming down, getting fit and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise. All 21 of our moms who participated in our winter program reaped the benefits of having two personal coaches to help them create a map to new healthy habits and a strategy to make them stick.

I loved 60DOY! I achieved my goal of fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothing, losing weight, and returning to my regular exercise routine. I also experienced some unexpected results that were amazing! Having a child who is not a good sleeper, I used to be exhausted and low energy every day. Now I wake up every day feeling well rested, energetic, happy, and cheerful. I also no longer need to take my allergy medication, which I have taken daily for years!Now that the 60 days are over, I like that I have a home program for nutrition and exercise that I can fit into my daily routine. I love the idea that I can mindfully eat what I want and return to the plan to maintain my weight, nutrition, and exercise routine.”

Lauren lost 10 POUNDS during the 60-day program!

More noticeable, she lost FOUR inches around her hips allowing her to fit back into pre-pregnancy clothes with ease. Our abdomen and hips in particular, show if an individual is estrogen-dominant. Estrogen dominance leads to weight and/or fat gain, thyroid dysfunction, mood swings, sluggish metabolism, fatigue, trouble sleeping/insomnia and many other symptoms…(sound familiar to you?). As moms, we have raging hormones! Moms are learning to rebalance our hormonal environment through nutrition—and AMC’s high-intensity strength training workouts are the perfect pair to increase growth hormones and burn fat. Lauren’s dedication to her fitness and nutrition continues the shift in her hormonal environment, and the rewards are priceless!

I see more muscle definition and feel strong and healthy. I like the variation and pace of Fit & Fab Small Group Training sessions. I felt like I got a great workout without feeling miserable throughout it. It left me feeling motivated to exercise at home and come back every week. I really like using kettlebells, they make me feel very strong.

I’m most proud that I took control of my diet and exercise to make a change in how I look and feel. Of course, I’m very proud of losing weight and feeling comfortable in my clothes!

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the 60-Days of YOU! experience and results. I highly recommend AMC to anyone.”

Lauren’s journey is impressive. She demonstrates that determination and dedication will pay off.

Here’s a snap-shot of some other impressive results from 60-Days of YOU! Program:

Cumulatively, 21 women lost a total of 86 pounds

Every mom increased her overall strength and endurance, averaging 22% gains in their fitness assessments

Five women lost over 10 pounds each

One mom lost a whopping 14 pounds!

Seven out of 21 women were breastfeeding during this program, combined they lost 50 pounds

What are your personal fitness goals? Rather than wish for change, take action! No exercise experience is required to start our Fit & Fab strength training program. Likewise, AMC can take your fitness to a whole new level. Let the power of small group training move you! Join us for a one-time Fit & Fab test-drive for just $25. Experience a session for yourself and you too will be on your way to feeling more confident about what your post-baby body can do.

SUMMERTIME 60-Days of YOU! Program

Do your food choices and workout routine feel like a guessing game? Do you vision a slimmer, healthier, fitter version of yourself this summer? Are you ready for a life changing experience? —Yes.

Our Summertime edition of 60-Days of YOU! begins April 21 and runs through June 19 – eight weeks of fitness and nutrition guidance that will take the guesswork out of slimming down, getting fit and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Make the commitment to honor yourself. We promise this program will deliver a life changing experience for you. Establishing new food and exercise habits are an incredible gateway to accessing a sense of freedom in your life. To learn more…

For the last two weeks I’ve shared with you why I decided to hire a fellow colleague and trainer to help me take the guess work out of my food choices. What she gave to me was much more valuable than any nutrition plan, (read initial post here, and part 2 here). And now my clients want to know how I’ve been faring…

MEASUREMENTS

I started my nutrition plan on April 28. My ‘perceived set’ body weight was 133 pounds and the percentage of body fat as recorded on my home scale hovered at 27%. Within four weeks of following the nutrition plan my weight dropped to 128 pounds! A solid five pound weight loss by changing what I ate, when I ate, and how much I ate. Weighing in under 130 is a HUGE deal for me; it usually took a weekly running volume of 15-25 miles to achieve and maintain this weight. I always thought I needed to run to maintain a lower number on the scale! I now know different. This is unchartered territory for me!

*Note, the only change in my workout is that I added a consistent third weight training session each week. The main variable that was altered in this eight week period was my nutrition and more consistent water intake.

Aside from the weight loss, what was more powerful to me were the caliper and circumference measurements. In the first four weeks I lost 1.0” from my waist AND hips. My right thigh which has always been oddly larger, reduced in circumference by 1.25”! I also feel a difference in the texture of my skin, it’s more supple. Personally I think I look a couple of years younger! This skin texture difference may very well be from the fish oil supplements I have been taking daily since May 1.

I was a little surprised to see the measurements continue to change as much as they did for the last four weeks. With any journey, I had my ups and downs with staying on track. We had guests in town, we ate out more than usual, and let’s be honest, I was completely altering the way I ate. Initially it was a real challenge. I did the best I could with my nutrition choices when we were out, trying to stay the path, and course correcting as soon as possible—and it all paid off. There was less weight loss in June, but my body mass continued to change. The body fat percentage on my home scale June 19 was 23.0%, down 4% since when I started!

I lost 7 pounds of body fat and gained 1 pound of lean muscle mass in eight weeks following may nutrition plan.

If you asked me 15 years ago–even 5 years ago, what was the least favorite part of my body—my answer would have been a swift and resounding answer…THIGHS. I have never liked my legs, for as long as I could remember. I actually have contemplated liposuction because I thought that I was doing everything possible to reshape them; everything but re-haul my nutrition. I LIKE my legs now. My thighs don’t rub together anymore when I walk. There is actually a small gap between my thighs when I stand. I’m so impressed!

I have enjoyed every step in this process. I have a new found identity. I have changed my eating habits and frankly, I did not anticipate the physical and emotional changes to happen so quickly. It was a lot of work at the beginning, and I’m grateful to have the full support from my husband who helps with meal preparation and shopping—it makes a world of difference. To think I was ‘just’ looking to reduce my body fat and hone in more control. What I received is far more valuable than a nutrition plan. I now know that if (when) I find myself slipping away from my new eating habits, I KNOW I have the tools to be re-routed. I have my own GPS—and I know it works.

HOW AM I DOING NOW?

Do I still follow my nutrition plan? Yes and no. I know the macronutrients (protein:fat:carbs) and the portions that I need to eat for each meal and I follow that closely during the week with liberties when we eat out, or are out of town. I don’t always weigh my food, I know how to eye-ball portions pretty well now. I definitely continue to eat timely—every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism fed—and drink plenty of water.

Do I eat desserts, pizza and ice cream? Yep. I’ve had an ice cream cone once a week for the last few weeks. I do love my chocolate too. I’ve had a couple of over-consumption moments lately and I’m tackling those emotions when they come up. The difference now is that I have the tools to re-route; to not feel guilty when I overeat, and accept that I had a moment and move on.

Is it a lot of work to meal prep for me and rest of family. Yes. My husband usually cooks a few days worth of protein at the beginning of the week for him and I. I tend to return to the grocery store once or twice a week to stock up on greens or buy more prepared protein when time is limited to cook. In the beginning it was a lot more work because it was a new routine, but we’ve got a groove going now and it’s just the new norm. I’d like to say my boys eat what we eat at dinner time, but we’re not that family. At least one boy gets a different meal because he dislikes any sort of animal protein.

Are you still seeing changes in your body? Yes. I’ve lost two more pounds since June (125 pounds today!) and I’m not really ‘trying’ to lose more weight, I just have new eating habits. I’m a little in disbelief. I re-weigh myself in the mornings because I think the scale is broken. I cannot remember a time in the last decade when I weighed 125. To be honest it doesn’t feel like effort right now. I’m eating smarter, working out smarter and continue to get stronger.

Do I drink wine and beer? Yes, but it has always been in moderation. I’m not a big wine drinker, one glass makes me tipsy. I do enjoy my beer though. I tend to drink 2-3 beers over the weekend in the summer.

Do I ever overindulge and eat too much? It’s happened a few times. I’m more aware of my actions and try to figure out why I’m really overeating. I eat out of emotion—we all do. If I can label the emotion, I’m more apt to do a re-route. (And the re-route may not happen at the moment I’m overeating, but rather a day or week later. It’s a process.)

Do I feel like I’m denying myself? Nope, not one bit. If I’m really craving something I’ll eat it.

*BRAND NEW!* AMC’s 60-Days of YOU! program—eight weeks of fitness and nutrition guidance that will take the guesswork out of slimming down, getting fit and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Coach Cassandra will help you create a guidance map for your new health habits and create a strategy to make them stick! Join us and make the commitment to honor yourself for the next 60-days. To lean more…

Last week I shared with you why I decided to hire fellow colleague and trainer to help me take the guess work out of my food choices. What she gave to me was much more valuable than any nutrition plan, (read initial post here). This week I continue to share my journey…

In addition to my nutrition plan, my coach took into account my workout regimen and tweaked it to better fit my goal of reducing overall body fat. At the time I had been doing 2-3 weekly strength training sessions, 2-3 days of cardio. She noted that it was critical to boost resistance training to help boost growth hormone—which is helpful with fat-burning. (Which is why I preach to AMC moms that strength training is so important for weight loss). I made sure to get three, 60-minutes sessions of kettlebell training in weekly and attempted to add in one deadlift and bench press session each week. (For various reasons, these additional resistance sessions only happened 3-4 times total over the 8-week period.)

*As many days of the week as possible I incorporate 5-20 minutes of mobility work—active stretching, foam rolling, light weight functional exercises. I usually do this first thing in the morning. And to be totally honest, this was an ‘intended’ workout schedule. I was adamant to get in three days of kettlebell training each week, but cardio on Tue/Thu was harder to squeeze in 20-30 minutes, if at all.

EATING, EMOTIONS, OBSERVATIONS & AWARENESS

Part of the nutrition plan—and the most powerful piece of the whole process, was recording my feelings and observations after I finished every meal for the initial two weeks. What I discovered is that journaling quickly made me aware of my emotions AND how they tie into the foods I ate or wanted to eat (which typically were foods NOT on my meal plan…sweets, comfort foods, alcohol, etc.). When I shared my feelings and observations back to my coach, she helped me sort through my emotions. It has been a very powerful collaboration. She has helped me connect my mind to my body.

Breakthrough Moment

One of the most poignant moments in this journey was when I realized and acknowledged that I am no longer an endurance athlete. My relationship with food and exercise had been molded and formed in my glorious triathlon days when I ate often and what I wanted because as an endurance athlete you could do that. There was always a long run or a long bike ride on the week’s schedule…so in my mind I’d just burn it off. THIS. This relationship with food; this awareness was an ‘a-ha’ moment in my journey.

Now I’m working smarter! I realized that when I have control of my food choices—like I do now, I don’t feel obligated to work my butt off the next day. (To be clear, I have never thought of exercise as punishment. I love to move and challenge my body; it fills me with energy and empowers me). But at this moment I understood I subconsciously ate as if I were working out 10-15 hours a week. This recognition/awareness has brought me so much peace. I have let go of my identity as an endurance athlete, and as a result, let go of the mindset that I have to go run and bike long and hard because I overate the day before. I’m at peace with myself; it’s a liberating feeling. Nowadays I am smarter about my workouts and my food choices—and I don’t force my body to run if it’s not feeling it. To my amazement, it’s honestly less effort to maintain my new ‘comfort zone’ weight (126-127) than my old ‘comfort zone’ weight (131-132). That is priceless! Like any old habit though, I have found it slips back into play from time to time. Now I’m much more aware of my actions and can adapt more quickly to get nutrition back on track.

“The art is in the recognition. Allowing more sweets may feel like a trip-up, but it is not. It just IS. And now you are hearing the conversation—knowing and naming the feeling, acknowledging the behavior, and course correcting. To me, it’s like taking a minor detour and welcoming the reroute—whereas without conscious awareness, we plow forward through each day without a GPS at all. It is a dance between the body and mind, and the mind is intensely convincing. I guess my point is that it is less about reaching a state of perfection—never eating more than the body needs/always eating exactly what it requires—and more about being aware. Almost every single person we know has probably eaten into the “too full” zone at least once this week! So again, gentleness, gratitude for seeing clearly, even if it’s a few moments or even days later.”

This sums up the whole process for me. Be aware. Allow yourself what your body asks for. Have gratitude. Live in the moment. Be at peace with yourself. Enjoy the ride.

*BRAND NEW!* AMC’s created 60-Days of YOU! program —eight weeks of fitness and nutrition guidance that will take the guesswork out of slimming down, getting fit and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Coach Cassandra will help you create a guidance map for your new health habits and create a strategy to make them stick! Join us and make the commitment to honor yourself for the next 60-days. To lean more…

Over the winter and spring, I found myself struggling emotionally and felt out of control of sorts, especially when it came to my nutrition. The long Chicago winters are not my favorite and my personal training business, the Active Moms’ Club was thrown a big curve ball in needing to find a new training location for my clients and me. During this uneasy period, I decided to reach out to a fellow trainer and nutrition coach to help me hone my nutrition and find focus when many things around me felt like they were spiraling out of control.

As a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast, I’ve averaged the same body weight for the last 10 years (with the exception of the years going through IVF and a twin pregnancy) and have always felt that this was my body’s ‘set weight’ and comfort zone. However, in the last few years even with a consistent weight, my body fat percentage—as measured by my home scale— has slowly been creeping up. In my days of Ironman training, and when I was 10 years younger, my body fat was around 23%. These days it’s closer to 27%, and ironically I am the strongest, and have the most muscle mass than I have ever had in my life. (Check out 25 More Random Facts About Me here).

To be perfectly honest, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into with this nutrition plan. I impulsively decided to make an 8-week commitment with the main goal of reducing my body fat. What I received was a life altering experience that has changed my relationship with food, and the types and quantity of food that I eat.

In eight short weeks I lost 6.4 pounds, dropped my body fat from 27% to 23%, and lost over an inch circumference in my thighs, waist, hips and chest!

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED—

I thought I ate well balanced meals.

I was not even close to consuming what I thought my body needed.

Prior to this plan, I’d have a tendency to skip meals, or eat a small snack for breakfast before a workout. I snacked A LOT. I’d grabbed nuts, cheese/crackers, a bowl full of cherries/grapes, Lara Bars, raisins (healthy, right!?)…whatever happen to be in the kitchen, ended up in my mouth. A snack went into my mouth after I got home from clients; before I picked up the boys from school; while I sat on the couch to read a magazine. I ate when I was happy, sad, anxious, overwhelmed, tired, procrastinating, or stressed. Sound familiar?

Many of us have jumped from one diet fad to another to rebellion-mode and back again. My coach likes to cut through the static and instill healthy eating practices right out of the gate. She provides an initial structure as a sort of internal reset button—shifting appetite cues, cravings, and energy. Rather than counting calories, the program is based around achieving the best macronutrient ratio (carbs:proteins:fats) specific to your body’s needs.

STRUCTURE OF MEAL PLAN

The meal plan seemed simple enough, it just required thoughtful meal planning and prep. She promised me that I would enjoy having an exact meal plan as it would take the guess work out of thinking about what to eat. It took a little to get used to, but she was right.

Basic of Nutrition plan:

Eat the first meal within a hour of waking (important to feed the body protein to continue to replenish macronutrients after body’s repair process overnight)

Continue to eat every 2.5-3.0 hours—trying never to go more than 3 hours without calories to keep metabolism churning

Ideally drink a gallon of water a day (with my overactive bladder, we negotiated water volume down to 60-70 ounces, and thats working well for me)

Eat protein at each meal— there are 6 meals every day (below is an example of meal #2 on a weight training day, it fills me up)

Measure food in grams to know exact ratio of macronutrients (protein:fat:carbs) and how the ratios work for my body so adjustments could be made. I bought a food scale to measure all my food in grams (I can eyeball quantities pretty well now)

Eat with attention and awareness

Practice intentional connection with my body—listening when its hungry, satisfied, or full

Eat slowly in a relaxed state to be aware and be ready to hear my body’s cues (this can present some challenges with 6-year old boys and the struggles that may ensue at dinner time, but it’s mostly successful)

Assess circumference and body measurements with calipers at the beginning, mid, and end of the 8-week period

The initial week was a “flushing” phase. Her goal was to detox estrogen and get my body responding with a macro-reversal (eating LESS carbs!). She reported I’m a good carb metabolizer because I carry most of my weight through my hips and thighs—I’m a endomorph body type. Making the flip to eating less carbs helped me jumpstart my metabolism for many reasons. It takes the body more energy to digest and breakdown protein than carbs/fats, making the thermogenic effect much greater than a typical eating day.

The meal plan really does take the guess work out of the process, and the process was working! I know what I have to buy at the store each week, and I know what I need to eat all day, every day. It’s quite simple to plan, it’s the prep work that takes extra time. Initially I was so focused on meal prep and adjusting to the reduced caloric intake (yes, honestly I was hungry, very hungry the first two weeks), that I didn’t recognize what I was NOT eating. As my body adjusted, ultimately her meal plan kept me satiated and I discovered I have more energy (critical to any parent!). And the scale was moving, so I felt extra motivated to continue to see what could happen.

*BRAND NEW!* AMC’s created 60-Days of YOU! program —eight weeks of fitness and nutrition guidance that will take the guesswork out of slimming down, getting fit and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Coach Cassandra will help you create a guidance map for your new health habits and create a strategy to make them stick! Join us and make the commitment to honor yourself for the next 60-days. To learn more…